This paper analyzes educational and social forces that prevent black males from achieving in school and policies that separate black males by race and gender from the general school population. The policy, social, and legal ramifications of plans for at-risk black male students in New York City, Baltimore (Maryland), Milwaukee (Wisconsin), and Detroit (Michigan) are discussed. Focus is on determining whether school boards need to separate children on the basis of race, thereby abandoning the integration ideal of the Civil Rights Movement, and whether black boys need to be separated from girls in order to learn. Part I discusses the state of black America today; shows reasons why the educational system must change to save black males and the black community; and shows that the current system does not work as evidenced by the levels of blacks in politics, economics, business, and poverty. Part II discusses whether or not integration helped blacks; shows that many blacks are still in segregated schools and that those who attend integrated schools are systematically tracked into low achievement classes; examines statistics showing that blacks have not caught up to whites and some may be worse off educationally now than in 1954; and describes Afrocentric education in terms of revamping curricula. Part III critically describes the two most controversial plans (in Detroit and Milwaukee), citing legal challenges to the plans and how schools have fared. Part IV explores public sentiment, and includes interviews with desegregation and sex segregation experts, psychologists, teachers, principals, and researchers. Part V describes an ideal school. (RLC)